Odyssey of a Woman

Philippine ‘Cinderella’

It’s my Friday Fiction and I’m writing supposed to be writing a short story but because I didn’t do my research before today, I am stuck – googling!

Below is something interesting I found on Google while educating myself more on Cinderella and the varied versions of the folk tale.

Philippines

Another version also exists in the Philippines, probably handed by the Spaniards. Here, the girl is either named Maria (in most versions), Peregrina or Catherine in other versions. She is given impossible tasks but is helped by a crab in most versions, a fish in the Visayan regions or the Virgin Mary in the Luzon variants. The cruel relatives are not only limited to her stepfamily, but extends to her aunt and cousins, or her jealous godmother. The Cinderella figure however, is more independent, as she shapes her future in her own hands. She does not always have a royal marriage in the end, but rather emerges as a rich and successful young woman overcoming her all the cruelties she had suffered. However, due to later influences, the prince or king or simply a wealthy bachelor is added to the story, as well as the ball (or church service) and the missing shoe.[citation needed]

And I am a Filipino! I know; I ask for forgiveness.

In my defense, I am a South African, too. I have lived in Africa (Zambia, Botswana, South Africa) for 25 years so I am more African than Asian although I look totally Asian. 🙂

Why is the Cinderella from the Philippines awesome?

Because –

“The Cinderella figure however, is more independent, as she shapes her future in her own hands. She does not always have a royal marriage in the end, but rather emerges as a rich and successful young woman overcoming her all the cruelties she had suffered.”

Aha! Ahaha!

Pity, I’m not a young woman anymore. Lol!

It looks like Google has a modern Cinderella from the Philippines because I found another tale and it sounds more like the proper one; her name is Abadeha, the Philippine Cinderella.

7 thoughts on “Philippine ‘Cinderella’”

Thank you so much, Theresa. I think the story is going to be good. I just hope I can write it well. My son likes the story, but he wants a slight deviation from my original ending. Haha! I’m quite excited. 🙂 Mwah!

A bit about me

I'm a Philippine island girl in Africa, a Filipino-South African.
A mad banana woman that I am, I live "la vida loca". The banana part isn’t only because I'm Anna (Banana) but because an old boyfriend had observed that although Asian (yellow on the outside) I'm very much Caucasian in my way of thinking (white in the inside) and my actions, too. It's a rather accurate observation. I am that liberal-thinking and modern-acting Filipino... I remain my tragic-comedic self with a day job in slightly more serious field of Finance, Business Operations and Corporate Affairs.